Finnair-Meridiana code-share agreement opens connections to Sardinia, Sicily and Florenc

eFinnair and the Italian airline Meridiana will start cooperating within the framework of a reciprocal code-share agreement on flights between Helsinki and Italy as of June 22. The new agreement means that Finnair can offer its passengers connections to Cagliari and Olbia in Sardinia, Palermo in Sicily, and Florence, to which Meridiana flies from the Finnair destinations of Amsterdam, Rome Fiumicino, and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Palermo and Cagliari are the capital cities of Sicily and Sardinia respectively. Olbia is located close to the popular Costa Smeralda area on Sardinia's northern coast, which has many magnificent beaches, high quality tourism services and golf courses.

The Renaissance buildings and treasures of Florence make the city one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations. The route network offered by Meridiana will also expand through the code-share agreement, with the company now offering connections to Helsinki from Rome and Milan as well as from the Finnair summer destinations of Pisa and Venice.

"Italy is a very popular travel destination, both for Finnair's Finnish customers and for passengers using our Asian route network. The code-share agreement means that we can now offer a wider range of convenient connections to Italy," says Vice President Hannu Sundberg, who is responsible for Finnair's code-share agreements. Finnair Plc 22 June 2009

Further information: Finnair Media Desk tel. +358 9 818 4020 or media.desk[a]finnair.com www.meridiana.com Finnair blogs: http://blogs.finnair.com Photobank: www.finnair.com/gallery Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com http://www.viahelsinki.com/